KAMPALA —The Lion of Mogadishu is gone!
The army has on Saturday, August 21 confirmed that Maj. Gen Paul Lokech, who was deputy Inspector General of Police is dead.
Spokeswoman Brig. Gen. Flavia Byekwaso said:
“The UPDF fraternity regrets to announce the passing on of the Deputy Inspector General of Police Maj. Gen. Paul Lokech. More details to follow. May His Soul Rest In Eternal Peace”
Sources indicate that Gen. Lokech died Saturday morning after a short illness.
Details of death are still scanty.
He is the second military General officer to die in a space of one week after Gen Pecos Kutesa who from India.
Gen. Lokech was appointed
deputy Inspector General in December 2020 as President Museveni dropped Maj. Gen. Muzeeyi Sabiiti from the same position.
Maj Gen Lokech previously served in South Sudan where he was deployed in November 2019 to monitor on behalf of the guarantors the South Sudan peace process, the assembling, screening, demobilization and integration of the armed forces of South Sudan.
Lokech was one of the commanders credited for breaking the back of Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia when he was commander of UPDF contingent between 2011 and 2012.
Because of his relentless confrontation with Al-Shabaab insurgents and capturing key historical places like the Red Mosque in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, the then Brigadier Lokech was nicknamed the ‘Lion of Mogadishu’.
Museveni between 2017 to 2018 redeployed Lokech to Somalia still as UPDF contingent commander and when he returned, he promoted him to the rank of Maj General. He immediately posted him to Jinja to command the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability Centre.
Gen Lokech till December 20, was Chief of Staff of Uganda People’s Defence Air Force –UPDAF.
He previously served as part of the commanders of Uganda’s peace-keeping forces in South Sudan.
The two-star General was part and parcel of Operation Safe Haven where UPDF extremely went offensive on rebels of Allied Democratic Front-ADF who were being commanded by now incarcerated Jamil Mukulu. The ADF was still based in the Democratic Republic of Congo- DRC.
Maj Gen Lokech also commanded UPDF Second Division which is based in Mbarara at Makenke barracks
. Other places where Maj Gen Lokech was deployed include Russia where he was Uganda’s Defence Attaché.
